The present invention relates to a punching apparatus and a punch which can be preferably used to punch, for example, a spent sodium-sulfur cell (NaS cell).
An NaS cell is made by filling the inside of a .beta.-alumina solid electrolyte tube with molten metallic sodium and the outside of the tube with molten sulfur and sealing the whole in a metallic vessel. Because the NaS cell has a capacity capable of storing a lot of electric power for long time periods, it is popular as an electric power storage cell. Therefore, the NaS cell has been increasingly manufactured and used in large quantities. It is assumed that the service life of the NaS cell is approximately 10 years and therefore, it is estimated that many of the presently produced NaS cells will become spent and require disposal.
Therefore, the inventor has developed the recycling of a spent NaS cell by disassembly and recovery by useful substances such as sodium and sulfur and various proposals have been offered so far (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 6-196209 and 6-333606).